The Journal of Antique Archaeology & Mike Wolfe

Two Lane Travel Photo Contest Winner! @HotRodHeb

Two Lanes Inspire us. Motivate us. Move us… When launching our Two Lane Travel Contest on Instagram a few weeks back, we wanted to see the types of places that inspire YOU.

Those kind of roads that when you’re on them and you feel the dirt and gravel underneath your wheels, you can finally take a deep breath. It was hard to narrow down our favorite, but the winner is Robert out of Campbell, California – also known as @HotRodHeb on Instagram. We asked Robert a few questions about his winning photograph (pictured below), and here’s what he had to say:

“Hi, my name is Robert Causey, aka @HotRodHeb, and I have been interested in photography, Volkswagens, and rusty junk for many years now. I started with photography back in college with a camera that used this stuff called film and have gone through a few different DSLR cameras now. Old air cooled VWs have been in my life sine I was three years old and I still have that first one as well as many others through the years. My backyard is decorated with well over a hundred license plates, some old free signs, a few old gas signs, antique car parts, and even an old scooter.And now on to the picture. This picture was taken on the 2010 Shasta Snow Trip in Northern California. This was obviously taken back when we had water! The Shasta Snow Trip has been held every year since 2000 and is a backroads adventure from outside Clear Lake to Shasta City. The vehicle requirements for this trip are 1967 and earlier VW buses and range from buses that are purpose built for the trip to ones that have recently been pulled out of the woods. The idea of the trip is to use as many backroads, trails, and dirt roads as possible and use of a freeway is certainly frowned upon. My buddy Taylor (@busbuddhaon Instagram) and I were in his 1967 Riviera camper bus for the trip and I was the designated photographer since he was driving. This shot was taken on one of the many river/creek crossings that we came upon. When this photo contest was announced, I knew that this picture had to be one of my entries.”

I have a question. First of all, I watch every single episode at least 2-3 times to cheer this depressive. Secondly, I traveled for most of my career in the hotel business (nearly 15 years). I have driven to places like Muddy, IL (at that time pop. 100 and actually had a Holiday Inn!) and every little podunk town, corporation and dot in the road in America and 49 out of 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I’ve had to stop for goat crossing signs, with goats crossing, and all kinds of things. But the most inspiring was not on the pavement. I happened to be flying out of the Daytona, FL airport one day. I happened to look down and there was a full-blown race taking place. The infield was full, the stands were full and the little cars (they looked like the kind Frank likes…LOL) were flying around the track. If I can find it, would it qualify for your contest? Oh, and BTW, I am from Colorado and my aunt and uncle had a beautiful cabin in Leadville, CO. Mike, you have cojones to drive up those roads and even more to drive back down. My uncle used to scare us to death flying up and down those roads like those cars in Daytona. When my dad was 11 (that would be in 1927, he would drive tourists up Pikes Peak to earn some money). Just be sure to check your brakes on the way down! He was meticulous about his cars. The day he died in 2001, he had a book with the gas mileage of every tank of gas for every car he had since his Model A. He had a machine shop and a neon sign shop in the middle of downtown Denver during the war and since he was making war materials, they wouldn’t take him into the military. He was an incredible pilot (sold Cessnas and was a demo pilot for them) and he wanted to fly for the military so badly. When I watch your show, I can see him watching your show over and over and over just like me. Sometimes I even tear up when I see certain things that I know he either had or loved. You two would have loved him. The rest of the family gobbled up his shop and everything in it (he even had a metal lathe), so I got little from him except the .22 he taught me to shoot with and I had to sell it because times are so bad financially for me and I am a severe depressive.

However, I have him in my heart and would have loved to have watched your show with him. He’d probably keep saying, “oh, I had one of those.” Then he would proceed to tell me how it worked. When he was dying in the hospital (tractor accident at age 85), the few times he was talking, he thought the medical gauges like BP and oxygen, etc. were the gauges in his machine shop. Best father one could have.

Let me know if I could enter the contest. If not, I’ll just enjoy others. I took about 15 rolls of film a week (yes, film…I’d have to scan), and I know I have some pictures of Redneck interest. I think I even have one of a Limo that is raised up really high with huge tires. It made me smile. As you would expect, that was in Arkansas.

Good luck on your show. I think I’d have to go into the Nut Hut/Bozo Barn if you quit your show. I like REAL shows about REAL things and that you are!

I just wanted to say congratulations to this winner. I didn’t have a chance to see any of the others but, your photo brought me back in time, and I also appreciate the story that went along with it.
To Mike and Frank, keep on keeping on, I enjoy your show immensely

I have been watching for years. I never knew Mike was married let alone has a daughter. Only after he posted it. I don’t remember there ever being mention of that on any show.
Funny how you learn something new everyday